London Wasps
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| Full name | Wasps Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | RFU |
| Nickname(s) | Waspies |
| Founded | 1867 (as "Wasps FC") |
| Location | Coventry, England |
| Ground(s) | Ricoh Arena (Capacity: 32,609) |
| Chairman | Derek Richardson (Owner) Nick Eastwood (deputy) |
| CEO | David Armstrong |
| President | Mark Rigby |
| Coach(es) | Dai Young |
| Captain(s) | Joe Launchbury |
| League(s) | Aviva Premiership |
| 2015–16 | 3rd |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London. Although originally London based, Wasps are now located in Coventry, West Midlands and own and play at the Ricoh Arena.
Wasps has won at least one of each of the major European competitions or knock-out tournaments in the past decade. The team compete in the English Premiership, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and, depending on their results in the prior season, the European Rugby Champions Cup or European Rugby Challenge Cup (they are competing in the Champions Cup in the current 2016–17 season).
They won the Heineken Cup in 2003–04 and 2006–07, the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 1999, 2000 and 2006 and the Aviva Premiership in 1990, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.
Hampstead Football Club was founded in 1866. A split in the membership resulted in the formation of two different clubs: Harlequin F.C. and Wasps. Wasps Football Club was itself formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London; names of insects, birds and other animals were considered fashionable in the Victorian period. In December 1870, Edwin Ash, Secretary of Richmond Football Club published a letter in the papers which said, "Those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play."
As a reasonably well-established club, the Wasps were eligible to be founder members of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). On 26 January 1871 the meeting was scheduled to take place. However a mix-up led to them sending their representative to the wrong venue at the wrong time on the wrong day. Another version of the story was that he went to a pub of the same name and after consuming a number of drinks was too drunk to make it to the correct address after he realised his mistake. Wasps were, therefore, not present at the inauguration ceremony and forfeited their right to be called foundation members.
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